Surrounded by the English Channel to the north and west, Normandy has a 600 kilometre long coast – to the east the sea sculpts the cliffs with the pounding of its waves creating fantasy architecture; to the west its waters stretch on towards infinity, the sea comes to rest on vast expanses of golden sand that disappear and reappear with the tide. This ribbon of sand, occasionally intercepted by rocks and harbours, ends majestically at Mont Saint Michel. The Channel also moderates the weather – in winter it rarely goes below zero and summer temperatures average 25º.

While many people will head for the lively Normandy coast, the beautiful Norman countryside, with its golden plains, its cool, wooded valleys and its beech and pine forests, remains a haven of peace and serenity. Its little villages, leafy lanes and clear streams are the ideal setting in which to relax and rediscover the joys of nature.

Normandy has a diverse landscape:

• Around le Deshayes the fields and orchards are surrounded by hedgerows, the Bocage, where herds of cows graze peacefully.
• Towards Carentan and Cherbourg there are salt marshes, home to sheep.
• In the Maine Regional Natural Park there are splendid forests of beech, oak and pine.
• Around Argentan rich prairies flourish, well suited for stud farms and horse racing stables.
• The extraordinary Suisse Normandy has gorges, high rocky cliffs and plenty of water, enabling a variety of sports, such as climbing, canoeing, rambling and swimming.

This is the wonderful corner of France that we fell in love with and now call home. We hope the following pages will encourage you to visit and enjoy everything Normandy has to offer.